At the present time, gas-filled display panels for displaying characters by energizing groups of cathode segments generally include a tin oxide film on the face plate for each group of cathode segments. Generally, these anode films are made by a photo-etching process in which a face plate having one surface completely coated with tin oxide is photographically processed and etched to remove the portions of the film which are not needed to leave the desired anode films. This is an undesirable process because the starting material, the glass coated with tin oxide, is expensive because of the relatively high standard of optical properties which are required. In addition, where it is necessary to form fine, closely-spaced tin oxide anode lines, it is difficult to form such lines without leaving hair-like shorts between two functionally independent anodes or damaging the desired unetched portions. The present invention solves these problems by forming anodes by a direct process, with no auxiliary processes such as etching being required, and it also eliminates the need for expensive optical quality tin oxide-coated glass.